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Getting Ready for the Debate

By Kate Phillips December 13, 2007 1:51 pmDecember 13, 2007 1:51 pm

JOHNSTON — The scene here is remarkably different; the sun is shining, the temperature has warmed up by nearly a dozen degrees and unlike yesterday’s sleepy G.O.P. debate, you could hear cheers outside amid the candidate signs. Loudest — at least to our ears at the time we arrived more than an hour ago — was “Fired Up. Ready to Go!!”

That, of course, is the Barack Obama cheer. And he just rapped on the window behind The Times’s Jeff Zeleny here as the senator walked through the inside of the Maytag Auditorium. (We’re pretty sure he wasn’t reading over Jeff’s shoulder.) And Chelsea (Clinton) just showed up, too…the Clinton entourage has just arrived, which also included former Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa.

Anyway, lots of Hillary, Obama and Edwards signs out front, cheers back and forth. But unlike yesterday, we missed the horse-drawn carriage sponsored by the “Why Tuesday?” organization that tooled around the Iowa Public Television site outside in the snow and slush.

In just a few minutes, we’ll see if today’s debate can be any match for yesterday’s. (That was sarcastic.) The reviews have been largely negative, not just for the format, or for the candidates’ lack of engagement, or for the inclusion of Alan Keyes. Perhaps the Des Moines Register overhauled the list of questions overnight.

I agree with previous posters that the primary and caucus system is archaic. in an effort of progress there should be a rotating regional schedule primary order. this is not that difficult to implement, the most difficult part is getting all nay sayers and those who cling to power and the status quo out of government and get progressives and those who will protect the constitution into office. easier said than done, but if we can get people like hrc who writes close to $500,000,000 in earmarks to 60 some corps that pay it back in campaign financing out of office and responsible Americans in, a proper functioning republic is possible.

Future debates should be patterned after the NCAA basketball playoffs. Have three or four rounds of debates with just two candidates in each debate. Seed the candidates based on latest polling results in the state where the debate is scheduled. Winners in first round, as judged by polling, advance to second and so on until the final round between the two winnest candidates. May include a losers bracket if time is available. This format will provide more in depth coverge of each candidate and allow electorate to weed out lesser candidates.

Since I believe in defunding the war, since I believe in single-payer healthcare, since I believe in holding the current administration accountable for their violations of the constitution, I have been told I have no place in the Democratic party. With the only candidate supporting these issues barred from participating I can only assume that the Democrats believe they can win without my vote. Good luck to them.

There are those in our society who invest themselves in America to make it a safer and stronger nation; those who, in various ways, serve this country and who take the initiative because they believe in the American dream and believe in its future.

Those who are the model citizens in our society and who invest their time and energy into its success and believe in a strong America should have a greater say in the course of its future because they have much more at stake in its outcome. Those with a greater stake and who have invested in the future of the country deserve to have a greater say because they have earned the right in a substantive and measurable way.

To this end I would suggest that there be instituted a policy with regard to voting at all levels of government, and would honor this investment and service by rewarding outstanding individuals in our society with additional voting powers. My suggestions for additional votes are as follows:

1, Minimum of a High School diploma or GED should be required for a citizen to merit their first voting right. One vote awarded to all High School graduates. The idea behind this is that one should first prove that they can read and comprehend the ballot before obtaining the privilege to cast a vote.

2, Land/homeowners should have an additional vote. They have real property at stake and therefore have incentive to see the nation safe and strong. The founding fathers of this country understood this idea. It was the original premise on which the system of voting was established. Minimum 50% principle must be paid to qualify. A foreclosure removes the privilege.

3, Additional vote awarded to sole proprietors that employ over 100 employees or partners which employ over 200 employees. Employing Americans provides our society with a sense of worth and provides families with a secure foundation to the next generation of strong and smart citizenship.

4. Additional vote awarded for those who serve in a police department or fire department. These are the men and women who literally put their lives on the line to make our homes and cities safer and more secure so we can thrive and prosper. This vote is awarded only for the time of employment and becomes permanent only upon tenure.

5. Additional vote awarded to those who serve in any branch of the military (reserves included) (dishonorable discharge removes the privilege). The merits of this award really needs no explanation. This privilege is made permanent for all honorably discharged.

6. Two additional votes for combat duty in the military. This is the highest level of service one can do for the nation and therefore merits the highest honor. (Permanent privilege)

7. Two additional votes awarded for military who receive recognition of bravery in the line of duty (Purple Heart, Silver Star, etc) (Permanent privilege)

8. Additional vote given to those who serve as an elected public official for the duration of their term (impeachment is a disqualification).

In this way the power base in America will shift from the ‘groups that breed the fastest’ to those ‘who have a greater stake and who have made the greatest investment in America’ and who have the most to lose as a result of placing bad leadership in public office.

It is time to make America strong again in its spirit and in its economy. This can only be done with the right leaders who are not corrupted by the seductive power of the large voting blocks who have much to gain but little to lose. Implied in this proposal is the assumption of a popular vote and a corruption proof system of paper ballots and hand counts.

In addition, I recommend banning electronic voting to restore voter confidence. Returning to paper, pencil and hand counting might seem archaic, but it is trustworthy and reliable. Receipts should be given to all voters so a recast can be done if necessary, this again to restore voter confidence.

Campaign Reform:

I would have a candidate make a contract with constituents. Promises made would have an accountability clause that would include automatic impeachment and removal from office if campaign promises are not met within the first quarter of their term. A new election would take place following on the heels of such an impeachment and removal from office. The hope is that a candidate will think twice about making promises they know they can not or do not intend to follow through on knowing they will be held accountable.

I would suggest a limit or ceiling on campaign spending designed to level the playing field. A limit on campaign spending would be determined by the weakest candidate’s financial capabilities thereby level the playing field. A fair minimum and ceiling on campaign funding agreed to by all the candidates should be established prior to a set campaign season thereby ensuring an equal footing among the candidates. The purpose is threefold. It will get qualified persons in a race that we would not otherwise run knowing in advance that they would be out-financed from the start. It will also make it a race of ideas and principles rather than money. The money saved by candidates and their constituents is better left circulating in and stimulating our economy.

Salary Limits of Elected Officials:

The following suggestion for limits on salaries is restricted solely to ELECTED government positions at the state or federal level and is the ONLY sector of our society where limits on earnings would be made law.

I suggest that salaries for all elected positions in government not exceed 20% above the mean overall national average per capita income. This proposal accomplishes two important goals.
a) We, the people, elect persons to government positions to represent and serve the interests of their constituents, not to be a financial burden upon them for exorbitant salaries and pensions. Elected office is for service to the country (voters), not the other way around.
b) If a citizen wishes to serve his country, let it be because he or she loves this country and wants to serve because it is the right and honorable thing to do, not because he or she would stand to reap a personal financial windfall at the expense of taxpayers. The opportunity to serve the voters in government is the bestowal of public trust upon persons presumed to be without ulterior motive.

Health Insurance:

I propose a National Health insurance program which would be divided into two separate categories…major medical and health maintenance. Major medical would be covered by a national health plan. Health maintenance would be covered through tax deferred personal medical savings accounts. In this way citizens are protected from financial disaster in a major medical crisis, and must pay from their own savings for regular health maintenance. This effectively prevents abuse of the medical system which would otherwise drain the national health plan of necessary funds to operate. It would mean that individuals would have a greater incentive to maintain good health and exercise preventive steps to stay healthy because health maintenance cost would come out of their personal accounts.

Immigration:

It should also be set into law that no tax dollar shall ever be used for benefits or entitlements for any non-citizen. Anyone who has been in the country illegally for over 5 years may be granted a grace period in which to do “the right thing” and file for citizenship. Should they fail to comply within the grace period, they should be deported immediately as should any illegal aliens who have been here for less than 5 years. The borders need to be secured…other countries do this and we should also.

Taxes:

The Federal Reserve needs to be abolished. The current IRS system needs to be replaced by a flat national sales tax for federal revenue (separate from state sales tax) to provide for a strong military defense, national highways, transportation, major medical insurance (see above), and border control. Federal influence in state matters needs to be clearly cut back and states need to assume more individual control over their affairs. (10th Amendment) There should be limitations to prevent the federal government from using federal funding as leverage in state policy. State sales tax would be used for state matters.

Funding for creation of infrastructure in residential areas should be built into the plan for those communities so that property taxes in older neighborhoods are not raised to provide for the new ones. Responsible development will put less strain on the already over-taxed home owners. The taxes raised by the influx of residents to a newly developed community should be adjusted to provide all necessary infrastructures and then lowered when it is in place. Older neighborhoods should not bear the burden of providing for those who are moving into new developments.

Welfare needs severe reforms to eliminate abuse of tax dollars. It should be shifted to local government with the idea of envisioning a time when local charities take the burden away from the state. An action timetable would be good place to begin.

Censorship:

As for media, I believe in the self-regulating power of free enterprise, and I am adamantly opposed to censorship. In this world of increased information accessibility, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep information from surfacing. There will always be spin doctors. That is a fact of life. If you open the door to censorship it is like opening Pandora’s Box. The right of free speech should remain inalienable.

Education:

Education is the future of our political and economic life. A democracy lives and dies based on the education of its voting body. Throwing money at the problem of education is not the only answer. With information more readily available on the internet, language skills, computer literacy and resourcefulness should be an early focus in education. A student as teacher program should be incorporated into classroom structure such that 3 grade levels are socialized through student mentoring at each level with the curriculum guided and planned by the teachers. A typical student day would involve 50% of their day being taught by the grade level above, and 50% of their day involved with the teaching of the grade level below. This would be implemented over a period of time starting with the lower grades and advancing each semester until it has been fully incorporated at all grade levels. Teachers will assume responsibilities for facilitating the program, managing classroom decorum, providing lesson planning, and administering exams.

Parents need to feel secure about their children in school. Armed security in schools should be encouraged. Teachers should be allowed to carry weapons, not only for their own protection but to ward off potential Columbine style shootings and ensure the trust parents place in the public schools for the safety and protection of their children.

The Responsible Parenthood Act:

I have some ideas about how to relieve the taxpayer of the burdens of welfare and in particular with regard to Aid to Families with Dependent Children. One idea which I would like to suggest is a program in which a personal IRA type account is created by soon to be parents or single pregnant women or qualified guardian. This would be a source for funds which would be distributed via the current system of social services for support specific to the designated child named on the account. Such an account would be set up with a seed amount (to be determined) which would be a treated as a tax credit in the program participant’s initial year’s taxes. Additional money deposited in the account in subsequent years (up to a certain amount) would be deductible like an IRA account. The account would grow with the child unless used for services justified by the social services worker. A seed amount would need to be determined such that the money generated in interest would be sufficient to provide some moderate level of regular support should it be needed. During times when it is not needed the account would continue to grow. The account would be earmarked strictly for social services support until the child whose name is on the account reaches the age of 18 at which point it is then earmarked for higher education and must be used for that purpose before the age of 30. The reward for being a responsible parent is in the form of tax credit for seed monies and deductions/and or credit for additional deposits. The benefit for the taxpayers and the parents is obvious. If the account becomes totally drained, the current system of social service would kick in normally, but the tax advantages for the parent or guardian would end at that time. If the child listed on the account passes away before the age of 30 any remaining monies from that account would go into a fund which would go to provide seed money for poor families with children under the age of one year and in lottery fashion. The program is designed for the purpose of tax relief and social services funding and for higher education and is not a savings account for the parents. Obvious in the program is that responsible parent’s pay the way for the welfare of their own children in direct manner relieving the burden from taxpayers who do not have children or whose children are grown and are self-sufficient.

These are difficult times which require the leader of the country be strong, resolute and unafraid to do that which is in the best interests of the country. The truth rarely wins popularity contests.

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